A TEACHER told a jury she never claimed for or received two payments for work allegedly done by her before the opening of a flagship free school in Bradford.

Rachel Firbank said she had received £450 into her bank after she submitted an e-mail in summer 2011 about the hours spent on planning lessons for the opening of the Kings Science Academy.

But she told Leeds Crown Court she had no knowledge of two other documents shown to her by police which were invoices in her name for £1,950 and £607.50.

Mrs Firbank said she first became involved with the Academy after she heard about it from Shabana Hussain, the sister of the founder and principal Sajid Hussain Raza.

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Raza, Hussain and Daud Khan, the financial director, are standing trial at Leeds Crown Court accused of fraud.

Mrs Firbank told the court she was interviewed in early 2011 and was appointed a history teacher for when it opened that September.

She and Shabana Hussain then had meetings to plan classes for when pupils started attending.

She said she was told to make a claim for the work she had done. “I had to fill in a form which stated work I had produced and how many hours spent on each given task.”

She told the jury she believed she then sent the completed form back to Sajid Hussain Raza.

“Were you paid for the work you had done,” asked Simon Kealey prosecuting. “Yes I was,” she replied. She said £450 went into her account on July 11, 2011.

She said other than her teaching salary when the school year began she received no other payments.

Mrs Firbank was shown a document with her name and address on the top claiming for £1,950 dated May 31, 2011 said to be work such as curriculum planning and development, staff interviews, five days on preparing schemes and policies.

She told Mr Kealey she never made such a claim. “None of those things I did at those times.”

She was shown another claim in her name dated June 27, 2011 for £607.50 which she also denied making.

“Did you make a claim for that amount,” asked Mr Kealey.

“No, I didn’t,” she replied. She said she also had not received that amount.

Raza, 43, of Spring Gardens Road, Heaton, Bradford denies four counts of fraud, three counts of false accounting and two of obtaining money transfer by deception.

Hussain, 40, of Wilmer Road, Heaton, Bradford, denies one charge of fraud and three of false accounting.

Khan, 44, of Thornhill Place, Thornbury, denies two fraud offences and three of false accounting.

The prosecution claim they diverted money intended for the school and that false documents were created to cover their tracks.

Mrs Firbank told the jury she left the school in March 2013 partly because they were going to extend the length of the school day which did not suit her but also because she had some concerns about Raza’s leadership which she found “quite autocratic”.

Under cross-examination by Ben Hargreaves representing Raza she agreed he had a very clear vision in what he wanted to achieve at the school and aimed for high academic standards.

Gaziya Weller told the jury she was taken on as a vice-principal at the school and was involved in meetings and plans before the opening in 2011.

She submitted three monthly invoices to Daud Khan for work she had done during that period and was paid the sums £2,865, £1,500 and £1,350.

“Those three invoices reflect the billed work you undertook,” asked Mr Kealey.

“That’s correct,” she said.

She agreed she was subsequently shown three further invoices by police in a similar format but with several differences on dates and topics. They were for £2,602.50, £1,230 and £1,110 and she said she had never claimed for nor been paid those amounts.

The trial continues.